How much does it cost to enter the awards programme?

Platinum Members £0 for up to 2 entries - £100 per additional Award entry.
Members £300 for up to 2 entries - £100 per additional entry.
Non Members £500 for up to 2 entries - £200 per additional entry

Do I need to pay for entries before the deadline date?

Once all applications have been received an invoice will be issued. Payments can be made via credit card, cheque or BACS transfer. You can contact our Finance Team for more information. All entries must be paid for, even if you are not successful in reaching the shortlist.

What is the deadline for entering the awards?

The deadline for entries is 15th June 2018.

Can I amend my entry after I have submitted this online?

Yes, as long as all amendments are made prior to the published entry deadline. To amend your entry, simply upload your amended document onto the online submission website and send an email to the Awards Manager to advise of this amendment and indicating what entry should be discounted from judging i.e. category and date submitted.

Who is the judging panel?

The judging panel includes professionals from all sectors and senior executives with wide-ranging experience in customer service. Judges have at least three years experience in the customer service profession. All judges can demonstrate a sound knowledge of operational processes and have multi-channel experience.
Our judging panel for 2018 will be announced soon.

How is my submission judged?

Each individual submission is scored independently by three members of our judging panel. These scores are combined to provide a total score. The shortlist will include companies/individuals that reach the minimum benchmarking score for the category entered. Feedback on written submissions is provided to entrants at the time of being notified whether or not they have been successful in reaching the shortlist. Shortlisted entrants will then participate in a verification call with a member of the Excellence Awards Committee, which provides a final set of scores. This score is added to the scores allocated at the written submission stage.

Can I request an extension for my submission beyond the published deadline date?

No. To make the process as fair as possible we require all submissions to be entered by the agreed submission date.

What happens if I exceed the overall stated word-count?

The online entry system will calculate your overall word count, automatically applying a discretionary 10% allowance. If you exceed this total word count allowance a message will appear on screen highlighting this to you. You should adjust your entry accordingly or risk your score being penalised by judges.

What format should I submit my entry in?

Award entries should be submitted using the online entry form, available Feb 2018.

Can I provide supporting documents & use images/pictures in my submission?

Entrants are able to upload images, tables and graphs to support their entries. These should be a maximum of 10mb per file and is limited to a maximum of 5 files per submission. This should not be used for customer/colleague testimonials or additional supporting documents, which will be included in the overall submission word count. Where possible, include all text in the online entry form. Video/media files can not be submitted.
Acceptable appendices include: photos, data tables; graphs
Unacceptable appendices include: quotes/accolates; additional text

When will the shortlist be announced?

The shortlist will be announced on 20 August 2018.

What happens if I reach the shortlist?

All shortlisted entrants will be required to participate in a verification call with a member of the Excellence Awards Committee throughout August. This provides Committee Members with the opportunity to question entrants further on their submission and offers entrants the opportunity to provide additional information in sections that may have scored lower as identified by judges in the written submission stage. CCA or your appointed Judging Panel Member will be in touch to arrange a suitable time and date for this call.

If I am shortlisted, how many people can participate in the verification call?

It is preferable that only one participant per shortlisted entry contributes to the call. Where two organisations have submitted a joint application, there may be a representative from each organisation.
For individual categories nominees may have their nominator/line manager present on the call to support them during the verification call. However, the call must be carried out by the nominee and the Judging Panel Member will decide if input from the nominator will be contributed to the final score.

What happens after the verification call?

No further input is required from entrants after this stage. Committee Members will allocate a final score, based on the verification call, which will be added to the 3 scores already allocated by judging panel members at the written submission stage. Winners will be those with the highest score in each category. Winners will then be announced at the Awards Ceremony.

When will the winners be announced?

Winners will be announced at the CCA Convention and Gala Dinner in Glasgow on 14 and 15 November 2018.

What happens if I am shortlisted but unable to attend the Awards Ceremony?

Shortlisted entrants who are unable to attend the Awards Ceremony can either nominate a representative to accept the award on their behalf or ask a member of the Awards Executive Team to collect this on the night and arrange for this to be forwarded on to you, as the category winner thereafter.